“The Whip”

Summary

The article "The Whip" introduces a technique to gain instant motivation and momentum for big projects by starting with the easiest, most fun, or most energizing part of the task, leveraging the momentum to propel the completion of the entire project.

Abstract

"The Whip" is a motivational strategy likened to the physical action of cracking a whip, where a small initial effort builds momentum to accomplish larger tasks. The technique involves selecting an aspect of the project that is either easy, enjoyable, or likely to create forward motion, thus making subsequent tasks more approachable. The author exemplifies this by sharing his experience in developing an email course, where he broke down the project into smaller, manageable tasks. He started with brainstorming, moved to drafting summaries, then to writing full drafts, and finally to planning the launch. This incremental approach not only overcame initial procrastination but also led to a significant increase in subscribers, further motivating the completion of the project. The article also provides reflective questions to help individuals or teams identify the best starting point for their projects.

Opinions

The author suggests that the traditional linear approach to projects is less effective than starting with a part of the project that can build momentum.
By using "The Whip," one can trick the brain into becoming motivated, which is a form of "Motivational Judo."
The technique is not only about starting with an easy task but also about choosing a task that will make other parts of the project easier or more fun.
Public commitment, such as setting a launch date, is seen as a way to ensure follow-through and maintain momentum.
The author believes that by breaking down projects into smaller, more manageable pieces, one can avoid feeling overwhelmed and maintain a steady pace of productivity.

How to Get Instant Motivation & Momentum

Big projects are hard to get started — even if you’ve avoided The Fortress Fallacy and scoped things down.

In Motivational Judo, you trick your brain into being motivated. One of the more powerful “throws” is The Whip.

Think about how you crack a whip: With just a flick of the wrist, you get momentum started at the base of the whip. That momentum builds until the tip of the whip breaks the sound barrier. Seriously.

You don’t crack a whip by moving the tip at the speed of sound, you do it by getting momentum in the right part of the whip, and letting that build.

How do you apply this to your projects? You start with the part of the project that is one of:

The easiest

The most fun

The most likely to build potential energy that will make starting other parts of the project easier

The most likely to make you look like a fool if you don’t do the rest of the project (optional)

…Or any combination of the above. The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t think of projects linearly.

How have I used “The Whip?”

When I started working on an email course that would eventually bring my list from 5,000 to 30,000 subscribers, I had a lot of work to do. I had 12 emails to write, a landing page to design, and a launch to plan.

At first, I thought I’d do it all at once: write all of the emails, design the landing page, then plan and execute the launch. But I just couldn’t get motivated. My dumb brain wanted to look at Twitter and Facebook instead. It hurt too bad to start.

So, I used “The Whip” to motivate myself and keep momentum. Here’s how I tackled the project:

I brainstormed the topic of each email to make sure I wasn’t delusional — that I could actually execute the course.

This gained momentum for me to write short summaries for each email to further bolster my confidence.

This gained momentum for me to write a full draft for the first couple of emails.

Now I was excited and inspired. I then ignored the emails and concentrated on the launch. By making a public commitment to give the course, and to the dates of the emails, I was sure to follow through, because I’d look like a fool otherwise.

By doing the launch, and getting all of those sign-ups, I was then very motivated to do a great job with the course. I scheduled the course so I had to write one email a week, to manage my motivation.

Questions to ask yourself or your team to find out where to start The Whip:

Which part of the project are you excited about working on?

Which part of the project would be the easiest to start? If that was done, would it make other parts easier?

Are you feeling motivational blocks on parts of the project? Would you be more motivated if another part of the project was already finished, or if you had more information about the outcome?

Is there an action you can take will commit you to finishing the rest of the project?

On my podcast, Love Your Work, Timehop’s Jonathan Wegener talks about how he became successful by breaking things down into bits. Listen to the interview, or Subscribe on iTunes.